


Through the Crystal Ball and What MC Saw There

by A_Story_Without_Words



Series: Penny For Your Thoughts [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Divination, F/F, F/M, Future, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Nonbinary Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25773796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Story_Without_Words/pseuds/A_Story_Without_Words
Summary: Most of Hogwarts has always considered Divination a rubbish subject, MC included. But during a practice exam they're surprised to find they actually see something.
Relationships: Penny Haywood/Player Character
Series: Penny For Your Thoughts [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599250
Comments: 4
Kudos: 72





	Through the Crystal Ball and What MC Saw There

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @Pan1306 from Wattpad for this ridiculously adorable idea.

Most students would say that History of Magic was the dullest class offered at Hogwarts. The constant droning of Professor Binns’ voice possessing the power to put anyone to sleep within minutes. (F/N) however, would argue that even Binns’ lectures were preferable to Divination. It was a terrible class. A useless subject, really. It depressed them to think about how many hours of their life had been wasted staring at lumps of tea leaves and gazing glassy eyed into crystal balls. What made matters worse was the classroom where Divination was taught. For whatever reason, Professor Trelawney insisted on keeping several fires lit at all times in the small tower, and the heat combined with the heavy scented perfumes never failed to lull (F/N) to sleep.

Fortunately, it would only be another few months until their OWL’s, then (F/N) could ditch the subject for good. Unfortunately, Professor Trelawney had scheduled a practice practical exam outside class time to help the fifth years prepare for the upcoming tests. Just what (F/N) wanted, more of their life wasted inside that damned tower.

The class was sitting on the stairs leading up to the classroom, ascending up the ladder and through the trapdoor one by one. (F/N) stared down at their watch, counting the ticks of the second hand as the time slowly slipped away until it was just them and Penny Haywood left sitting next to each other on the top stair. Tonks walked by, changing her appearance so her eyes bugged out, mimicking Professor Trelawney’s ridiculous spectacles.

“Well, I’m up.” Penny said. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck.”

With one last smile, Penny disappeared up the ladder, the trapdoor falling shut behind her. (F/N) sat with their back against the wall, spinning their wand between their fingers, occasionally shooting off colored sparks and puffs ot spoke to entertain themselves. Five minutes passed. Then ten. It was taking an unusually long time for Penny to sit for the practice test. Most everyone else only took a couple of minutes at most. Finally, after twenty minutes the silver ladder dropped from the ceiling and Penny descended from the tower.

“How’d you do?” (F/N) asked. “See anything?”

Penny gave a noncommittal shrug, but her cheeks had turned a shade of pink.

“(F/N) (L/N).” Professor Trelawney’s misty ethereal voice sounded through the trapdoor.

(F/N) sighed.

“Well, see you at dinner, I suppose.”

“Mhm.” Penny nodded. “Oh, wait. Here.” She placed her hands on (F/N)’s shoulders and, standing on her tip toes, placed a soft kiss on (F/N)’s cheek.” For luck.” She smiled.

(F/N) stood in stunned surprise, watching Penny’s braids swaying in the air as she happily hopped down the stairs.

Trelawney’s voice calling their name once more brought them back to reality. The tower room was as hot as it ever was, and the usual heavy perfumes made (F/N) light headed as they shuffled their way over towards the table at the center of the room where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for them before a crystal ball.

“Good afternoon, my dear.” She said quietly. “Please, gaze into the Orb.”

(F/N) had to stop themselves from rolling their eyes. Bending over the table, they stared as hard as they could into the glass ball, wiling it to show them something other than the swirling white fog that they were always greeted with, but they were left disappointed.

“Take your time, now.” Professor Trelawney said. “Clear away all distractions and allow your inner eye to awaken.”

(F/N) tried the best they could to see something, anything, other than the fogged glass and their own reflection, and to clear their mind of ‘all distractions’ as Professor Trelawney had said, but the heat from the fires and the heavily scented air was lulling them dangerously towards sleep. 

“Yes, my dear?” Professor Trelawney asked eagerly, having mistaken the drooping of their eyelids as them having some sort of premonition. “What are you glimpsing in the beyond?”

(F/N) shook themselves awake and refocused their attentions on the crystal ball. They were about to give up and rely on the old trick of making something up, when they surprised themselves by seeing a hazy image in the ball. 

“I see… something.” They said, unsurely, leaning forwards.

“Yes, what is it?”

“I see… myself.” They said. “And… someone else.”

“Who is it, my dear?”

(F/N) leaned forward, for the first time intrigued at what they were seeing in the dusty old orb. Their nose was only several inches away, eyes narrowed as they attempted to see past the fog. There was a hint of yellow. A familiar golden sheen that (F/N) couldn’t seem to place. It danced and swayed in the crystal orb; the clearness of the image still distorted by all the fog. The longer they continued to stare, the more the fog seemed to clear, until (F/N) could just barely make out a figure amongst the clouds. Braided locks of golden hair weaved elegantly together as it ran down someone’s back. In a swirl, the blonde hair danced to the side as the figure turned around to stare back at (F/N).

“Penny?” (F/N) whispered.

The fog had cleared completely, and the images in the crystal ball presented themselves clear as day. There was Penny Haywood in a beautiful knee length yellow dress with pink embellishments adorning the color and front. She was sitting in one of the Herbology greenhouses at a small wooden table, and across from her sat… (F/N)? They blinked a couple of times to make sure they weren’t mistaken. Penny leaned across the table and, with a blush on her face, pressed her lips to (F/N)’s cheek, and they placed a hand softly overtop Penny’s, fingers interlaced.

They saw Christmas at Hogwarts, the two of them standing close together as enchanted mistletoe grew overhead. They saw them cuddled up together beneath the shade of a willow as the Spring flowers bloomed all around. They saw them swimming in the black lake in the Summer months beneath the moonlight, their clothes discarded on the shore. They saw themselves down on one knee, a ring in their hand as Penny nodded through watery eyes. They saw themself standing before a crowd of their family and friends as Penny walked towards them in a white dress, her beauty breathtaking. They saw a small cottage in the countryside, Penny’s feet propped up on their lap, a small bump in her stomach just starting to show. They saw them sitting together in a love seat entertaining their friends as Jacob chased their daughter around in the background. They saw a happy family, one, two, three children. They saw Penny’s hair turn from blonde to a platinum silver that did nothing to subtract from her beauty. They saw thousands of sunrises and sunsets from the porch of their cottage. They saw their children grown and marry and have children of their own. They saw Penny Haywood, her hair gray and face wrinkled. They saw all this in a single moment, hanging before them ripened and ready to be plucked. All they had to do was act.

The curtains closed on the image, the fog resettling over the crystal ball. They released a breath they didn’t know they’d been holding and leaned back in their chair. Professor Trelawney handed them a tissue which they used to dab at the corners of their eyes. When had they started crying?

“I think that will suffice.” She said with a smile. “Though I don’t know what it is you glimpsed in the beyond, I think your reaction speaks for itself.” She said as she wrote a few notes. “Yes, you and Miss Haywood should do quite well in the future.”

“You think we’re ready for our Divination OWL, then?”

“Hmm?” Professor Trelawney asked, distractedly. “Oh, no. No, dear. I already sense that you and Miss Haywood will fail your Divination OWL dismally. But then again, I wasn’t referring to your examinations.” 

“I thought you said you didn’t know what I ‘glimpsed in the beyond’.” (F/N) said as they walked over towards the trapdoor.

“I don’t. But as I said, your reaction speaks for itself.” Professor Trelawney said. “As does Miss Haywood’s.”

(F/N) stopped with one foot on the ladder, looking back up at Professor Trelawney who was replacing the crystal ball safely back on its spot on the shelf.

“Good day, my dear.”

“Good day, Professor.”

Epilogue:

(F/N) reached the Great Hall just in time for supper. The rest of their friends were already waiting for them, long since abandoning the tradition of sitting with their own house. (F/N) took their seat between Rowan and Penny, extremely conscious of the girl sitting on their left.

“So, anyone see anything this time?” Tonks asked, spooning a healthy amount of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

“Nothing.” Charlie said frustratedly. 

“I saw that I’m going to fail my Divination OWL.” Andre said, eliciting a chuckle from the group.

“I saw something.” Barnaby said proudly. Everyone fell silent and looked at him expectantly. “It was some tall burly bloke with green eyes and spiky brown hair.”

A few people laughed, a couple more rolling their eyes. 

“What?” Barnaby asked confusedly, unsure as to why everyone reacted in such a manner.

“I don’t know if it’s Trelawney or the class itself,” Jae said once the laughter had died, “but I’m beginning to think the whole thing is a sham.”

“Maybe that’s for the best.” Ben said timidly. “I mean, the future’s full of scary things.”

“What about you two?” Tonks asked (F/N) and Penny. “See anything?”

The two in question, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until now, looked up from their plates. They turned to look at each other, identical blushes rising on their faces.

“No.” Penny shook her head.

“Not really.” (F/N) said.

“Ah well, like Jae said, the whole ‘glimpsing into the beyond’ thing is probably just a load of hogwash.”

But beneath the table where no one could see, Penny’s hand had sought out (F/N)’s, and it remained there throughout the rest of dinner.


End file.
